Tapping trough, slag sweeper or skimmer



Feb. 9 1926.

F. B. MCKUNE TAPPING TROUGHl SLAG SWEEPER) OR SKIMMER Original Filed Sepi- 25, 19.22 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. B. MCKUNE TAPPING TROUGH, SLAG SWEEPER, OR SKIMMER Feb. 9, 1926. A572864 Original Filed Sept. 25, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i M E /J i /2- INVENTOR lfanllzwe.

@www Y@ ATTORNEYS Feb. 9 1925., 1,572,864

- Ef. a. MCKUNE TAFPING THOUGH, SLAG SWEEPEKOR SKIMMER original Filed Sept. 25, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 miglia..

lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS;

g2@ W7@ i Patented Feb. 9, i926.

UNITED STATESr FRANK BAIRD MGKUNE, 0F HAMILTONMONTARIO, CAADA.

TAPPING TRO'GH, SLAG- SW'EEPER OR SKIMMER.

Application filed September 25, 1922, Serial Eo. 599,436. Renewed October 15, 1925.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. MGKUNE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tapping Troughs, Slag Sweepers or Skimmers, of which the following is a specification. n

In the practice of open hearth furnaces the tapping hole is opened from the bottom, but at all times it is a diiicult matter to control the size of the hole (depth and height of the hole) with the result that the slag gets out before all of the steel is withdrawn from the'furnace, hence the slag and steel, going into the ladle at the same time, give rise, frequentl to bad boils. These boils are not only angerous but are responsible for the loss in the additions, either put into the furnace or into the ladle.V This slag affects all of the alloys which are necessary7 to add to the heat before tapping.

This slag is, without doubt, responsible for a great deal of bad steel, or which is known as 0E heats, as it interferes with and makes difficult the handling of the alloys on account of the slag and steel going into the ladle at the same time, that is to say togetherafter the heat is in th-e ladle, under the present practice.

As the ladles for steel are brick lined the slag is at all times responsible for about ninety percent of the wear on the brick work (this wear is more noticeable on the Stoppers, which constitute one of the most important parts of the ladle in controlling and pouring a heat) with the result that it is necessary to reline the ladle frequently.

My invention, therefore, has for its primary object to provide means to avoid the objectionable features above indicated and to enable one to get more uniform and better results from all alloys, etc., used in connection with heats, and to reduce, by removing the cause, the amount of defective steel made.

In its general nature the invention consists in providing a tapping trough leading from the furnace to the place where the ladle is held to receive the heat, the tapping trough having a by-pass normally closed by a removable dam and also being provided with a counterbalancing cut off or damper by which the slag may be skimmed as the heat passes along the trough from the furnace to the ladle. It also includes a slag spout adapted to receive the overflow from the ladle and convey it to the slag pit and also having a branch to receive the slag from the by-pass branch of the tapping trough when the dam is opened.

In its more detailed nature the invention also includes those novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described, and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had toA the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the invention, the furnace ladle and slag pot being diagrammatically indicated and showing the relative positions of the same.

Figure 2 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow a in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow .7) shown in Figure l, the elevation being taken between the slag pot and ladle.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional perspective view of the trough cutod guide.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the damper.

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the slag spout.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the slag spout taken in the direction of the arrow c in Fig-ure 2.

F gure 8 is a detail elevation of the dam plate which holds the masonry in place.

Figure 9 is a side view of the slag spout showing it joined to the branch casting of the slag runway.

Figure 10 is a detailed perspective view showing the manner of connecting the members 32 at one side with the members 32 at the other side of the trough.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference designate like parts in all the figures, l represents the front wall of the open hearth furnace, from the outlet of which the tapping trough 2 leads. The trough 2 is supported on uprights 3 and has a branch 4 constituting a by-pass for the slag. Adjacent to the entrance of the branch i there is provided two angle irons 5, which are riveted to the sides of the trough and form an abutment for the metal plate 6, the latter' having ears 7, and a handle 8 by which it may be raised when desired. A dry brick wall is built into the entrance of the branch t against the plate 6 as indicated at 9 in Figure l, which wall may be broken through when the plate 6 is raised to allow the slag to pass.

10 designates the' ladle whichhasv an over` flow duct or trough-like portion 11, and when ready to receive the heat, the ladle is allowed to rest on the supports 12 in the usual way. 13 is the slag pot to which the slagzis conveyed in a manner ypresently understood.

14 is the verticalportion of `a casting having a base 415 by which it may be secured onto'one of the ladle rests 12 and having a brace web 18 to support the slag spout 16 which is designed to communicate at its upper end with the slag overflow duct 11 of the ladle 10, see Figure 2, and deliver the slag'therefrom at the bottom into the slag pot.

19 is a branch casting trough which has a plate 2O designed to be bolted or otherwise secured, at 21, to the side of the casting 14 and having a brace or bracket portion 22 to support the trough 19 at an incline sothat its upper end may receive the end of the bypass branch 4 of the tapping trough, While at its lower end the'trough 19 delivers into theslag spout 16, see Figures 1, 2and 3.

Located just beyond the entrance to` the branch4, in the tapping trough, there is a trough cutoff or damper, the construction of which is best illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5, by reference to whichfigures it will be'seen that I provide bed plates 23 which are secured at 26 to the edges of the tapping trough. These plates 23 have lugs 25 which project upwardly from "the plates 23. The lugs -25 are apertured to receive suitable cotter pins to hold angle irons 271-29 in place. These angle irons have holes 28 to lit over the lugs 25 and have other holes 30 to receive'the pins 31v which secure the upright U-guides 32 in place. Each pair of U-guides 32 forms a vertical channelway for the ends of the damper head andxin order to limit the upwardmovement of the damper as well asto connect the U-guides 32 at one side ofthe trough with those of the other side and brace the structure, angle irons 33 t are provided which are secured atj 34 to the U-guides 32.

35 designates the damper which is madeA cross irons are also secured to the lire brick midway by bolts 42 whichpass through the same and through the clip 40 which carries the-'eye 41. A suitable counterbalancing device 43 is yprovided whereby the attendant is-enabledto raise and lower the damper 35 at will without great effort' and thereby adjust the same to skim the slag.

the heat is ready to be poured the. branch 4 is closed by the wall 9 and plate 6 and the damper 35 is raised. The tapping hole of the branch is then opened and the heat allowed to fiow through the trough to the ladle. The attendant soon becomes skilled sufiiciently to be enabled to tell the difference between steel and slag. As soon as the slag starts to come the attendant drops down the sweeper damper 35 into the runner Aor trough to whatever degree desired.; as the drop is controlled by the rcounterweight it is easily adjusted, and as the slag at all times is on the surface it therefore be'- comes a very simple matter to open the bypass branch 4 and draw off Vthev slagjust as fast as it is necessary to do so, and in this way the attendant can prevent the big vol-- unie of slag going into the ladle, at the saine time with the steel. I-Ie can also, by the use of the damper 35, allow a suicient quantity of slag to go into the ladle to cover up the steel.y

Should the attendantfailto shutoff the damper before the level of material rises above the outlet 11 the excessmaterial will flow out into the slag pot andnot overiiow the ladle. A

From the foregoing it will beseen that by the use of 'my invention relning of the ladles will' be reduced considerably. The prevention of'boils inthe ladles due to the slag and steel going intothe ladle at the same time is avoided and vtheloss of any vof the alloys etc. is cut down very greatly, either if added in the furnace or afterwards putfinto the ladle. n

It will bealso seen, I believe, by those skilled in the art, that by the use of myinvention more uniform' and 'better results from all alloys etc. usedlinconnection with heats can be-obtaine'd and the principal causel of the defective steel removed.

From the foregoing,description,jtaken Ain connection with the accompanying drawings, it' is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will becl'earto those skilled in the art.

What Iclam is Y y 1. Inl apparatusv of the class* described, a tapping trough leading from the furnace to the ladle, said trough havingxa by-.pass

branchvwith a removable dam at theen-Y trance, and a-slag sweeper gate in the trough located beyond the entrance to the by-pass branch, a castingincluding a troughleading from the top of the ladle to the slag vpot and including a branch to receive the slag fronily the by-pass branch.

2. In combination with the yfurnace and the slag pot, of a tapping trough leading from the furnace and adapted to deliver the heat into the ladle, a vslag sweeper in said trough, a by-pass from said troughl to de- In the practical use of my invention when liver the slag into the pot, a removable dam 13 at the entrance of said by-pass, and a slag skimming duct leading from the ladle to the slag pot.

3. In combination with the furnace, the ladle and the slag pot, of a liXed casting including a slag trough communicating at its receiving end with a slag outlet at the top of the ladle and at its other end delivering into the slag pot, a tapping trough from the furnace to the ladle, a slag sweeper in said tapping trough, said tapping trough having a by-pass branch With a removable dam in said branch, and a trough secured to said lined casting to receive the slag from said by-pass branch and deliver it into said slag trough.

l. In combination with the furnace, the ladle and the slag pot, oi' a fixed casting including a slag trough communicating at its receiving end with a slag outlet at the top of the ladle and at its other end delivering into the slag pot, a tapping trough from the furnace to the ladle, a slag sweeper in said tapping trough, said tapping trough having a by-pass branch With a removable. dam in said branch, and a trough secured to said fixed casting to receive the slag 'from said loy-pass branch and deliver it into said slag trough, said slag sweeper comprising a raisable countervveighted damper.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a tapping trough, plates secured to the upper edges of said trough on the opposite sides, U-guides mounted on said plates, connection between the U-guides at one side and the U-guides at the other side of the trough, a damper having cross heads projecting into the said guides, and means by which said damper may be raised and lowered in said trough.

FRANK BAIRD MCKUNE. 

